Welwyn Hatfield street wardens deal with nearly 100 stray dogs

Stray dogs are dealt with by Welwyn Hatfield Council's street wardens. Chris is one such warden.
Picture: Welwyn Hatfield Council

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A report on the work of Welwyn Hatfield Council's street wardens has revealed how they have dealt with nearly 100 stray dogs, helped combat fly-tipping, deterred rough sleeping and collected dozens of dumped needles.

The report of the corporate director to council sets out a summary of work undertaken by the council’s five street wardens since April 2017.

In total, they have dealt with 93 stray dogs, of which 63 were returned to their keeper.

Twenty-seven were re-homed and two were put to sleep due to illness or their unsuitability to re-home.

About half of these dogs were incorrectly microchipped/had no collar and tag.

Since April 6 in 2016, all dogs are required to be microchipped.

This change in legislation allows the street warden team to take enforcement action against the owner of a dog that is not microchipped.

They are responsible for issuing the relevant notices for any dogs that have not been microchipped, and failure to comply may result in a £500 fine.

In September this year, the team prosecuted an individual for failing to microchip their dog.

Another role of the street wardens is to improve the environment, which includes going out to collect dumped needles and visiting needle hotspots to clear the areas.

In total they responded to 67 call-outs to collect dumped needles.

They have also responded to complaints about parking on verges, abandoned vehicles, damage to street furniture, as well as liaising with the county council over tree damage and fly-tips blocking roads.

In Hatfield Town Centre, street wardens have undertaken patrols in marked vehicles, plus patrols to deter street drinking, rough sleeping and begging in the areas covered by the Public Spaces Protection Order.

They have also supported the environmental health team with Operation Reprise, which has involved noise patrols between 10pm and 3am on Friday and Saturday.

Street wardens have also been the eyes and ears of the council when it comes to tackling fly-tipping.

They have identified and gathered details of fly-tips and supported colleagues with interviews with suspected fly-tippers.

They have also provided evidence in black smoke bonfires, for nuisance noise investigations and taxi licensing probes.

The street wardens are accredited by Herts Police, giving them some additional powers while on duty.

These include requesting a name and address and removing alcohol and cigarettes from children.